Yuliya Chepalova

Yulia Anatolyevna Chepalova (Russian: Ю́лия Анато́льевна Чепа́лова; born 23 December 1976 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russian SFSR) is a former Russian cross-country skier.

Early and current personal life

Daughter of a cross-country skiing coach, Chepalova started to ski as soon as she began to walk. Coached by her father, Anatoly Chepalov, Yulia made her debut in 1986 and continued to move upward through the old Soviet system (and later Russian, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991). Chepalov, a coach of the Russian junior national team, reportedly sold off all of his assets to help finance his daughter's career. Chepalova is currently affiliated with Dynamo Moscow, lives in Syktyvkar with her second husband, Vasily Rochev, and her daughter Olesya, and their daughter Vaselina who was born in February 2007; works as a sports instructor, and speaks, besides her native Russian, also some German.

Skiing career

Debuting on the FIS cross-country circuit in the 1995–1996 season, Chepalova has continually ranked in the Top 15 throughout her career (the lone exception is the 2002–2003 season, where she took maternity leave to have her daughter Olesya), finishing #1 overall in 2000–2001 (#3 in 2005–2006 with #1 in the distance category (greater than 5 km)). This includes success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, with golds in the 4 × 5 km relay (2001) and 7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit (2005), silvers in the 4 × 5 km relay and 10 km freestyle (both 2005), and bronzes in the Individual sprint (2001) and Team sprint (2005). Additionally, Chepalova has won the women's 30 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival three times (1999, 2004, and 2006), joining fellow Russian cross-country skier Larisa Lazutina as the only three-time winners of the event. She earned the Holmenkollen medal in 2004.

At the 1998 Winter Olympics, Chepalova won the women's 30 km freestyle event in her Olympic debut, becoming the youngest winner of that event (and in women's cross-country skiing). Four years later at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Chepalova won a complete set of medals with gold in the Individual sprint, silver in the 10 km classical, and bronze in the 15 km freestyle. At the Winter Olympics in Turin, Chepalova would win two more medals with a gold in the 4 × 5 km relay and a silver in the 30 km freestyle mass start.

Chepalova was absent from the cross-country skiing World Cup for the 2006–2007 season to pregnancy.

She tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO) during an in-competition doping control on 3 January 2009 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She was banned from competition for two years after this.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Immediately after the EPO test results went public her father and coach Anatoly Chepalov officially announced her retirement. On 29 November 2009, Chepalova addressed IOC President Jacques Rogge where she came down hard on the World Anti-Doping Agency, accusing the organisation of being biased and unscrupulous in general, of unlawful ruling of her case in particular, and of "severing the career" of many good athletes but all the efforts to restore her good name were of no avail. Following this, in December 2009, Chepalova ostracised Russian Olympic Committee President Leonid Tyagachyov and Ski Federation of Russia President Vladimir Loginov for "their inaction in matters of defending the sportsmen whose guilt is not yet proven".^{[citation needed]}

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).^[4]

Olympic Games

6 medals – (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)

Year	Age	5 km individual	10 km individual	15 km	Pursuit	30 km	Sprint	4 × 5 km relay	Team sprint
1998	21	13	—	—	6	Gold	—	—	—
2002	25	—	Silver	Bronze	4	9	Gold	DNS^[a]	—
2006	29	—	26	—	9	Silver	27	Gold	—

a. ¹ Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova tested positive in the drug test which was taken an hour before the relay race, after their names were submitted for the race. Russia couldn't replace them because according to the rules, replacement must have been done at least two hours before the starting time.

World Championships

6 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)

Year	Age	10 km individual	15 km individual	Pursuit	30 km	Sprint	4 × 5 km relay	Team sprint
2001	24	—	10	7	CNX^[a]	Bronze	Gold	—
2005	28	Silver	—	Gold	10	—	Silver	Bronze
2009	32	—	—	DSQ	DSQ	—	DSQ	—

a. ¹ Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

World Cup

Season titles

2 titles – (1 overall, 1 distance)

Season
Season	Discipline
2001	Overall
2006	Distance

Season standings

Season	Age	Discipline standings					Ski Tour standings
Season	Age	Overall	Distance	Long Distance	Middle Distance	Sprint	Tour de Ski	World Cup Final
1996	19	14	—	—	—	—	—	—
1997	20	17	—	13	—	16	—	—
1998	21	10	—	8	—	11	—	—
1999	22	11	—	7	—	16	—	—
2000	23	7	—	12	4	17	—	—
2001	24		—	—	—	4	—	—
2002	25	5	—	—	—	20	—	—
2004	27	12	10	—	—	NC	—	—
2005	28	7	4	—	—	62	—	—
2006	29			—	—	40	—	—
2008	31	83	55	—	—	NC	—	54
2009	32	76	9	—	—	NC	DSQ	DSQ

Individual podiums

18 victories
33 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1997–98	4 January 1998	Kavgolovo, Russia	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
2	1997–98	11 March 1998	Falun, Sweden	5 km F Individual	World Cup	3rd
3	1998–99	20 March 1999	Oslo, Norway	30 km C Individual	World Cup	1st
4	1999–2000	10 December 1999	Sappada, Italy	10 km F Individual	World Cup	3rd
5		2 February 2000	Trondheim, Norway	30 km F Individual	World Cup	3rd
6		26 February 2000	Falun, Sweden	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
7		18 March 2000	Bormio, Italy	10 km F Pursuit	World Cup	1st
8	2000–01	8 December 2000	Santa Caterina, Italy	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
9		20 December 2000	Davos, Switzerland	15 km C Individual	World Cup	1st
10		29 December 2000	Engelberg, Switzerland	1 km Sprint F	World Cup	2nd
11		4 February 2001	Nové Město, Czech Republic	1 km Sprint F	World Cup	1st
12		4 March 2001	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
13		14 March 2001	Borlänge, Sweden	5 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
14		17 March 2001	Falun, Sweden	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
15		18 March 2001	Falun, Sweden	10 km C Individual	World Cup	3rd
16		24 March 2001	Kuopio, Finland	40 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
17	2001–02	25 November 2001	Kuopio, Finland	5 km F Individual	World Cup	2nd
18		12 December 2001	Brusson, Italy	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
19		12 January 2002	Nové Město, Czech Republic	5 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
20	2003–04	6 February 2004	La Clusaz, France	15 km F Individual	World Cup	2nd
21		14 February 2004	Oberstdorf, Germany	7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit	World Cup	1st
22		28 February 2004	Oslo, Norway	30 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
23		6 February 2004	Pragelato, Italy	15 km F Individual	World Cup	2nd
24	2004–05	15 January 2005	Nové Město, Czech Republic	10 km F Individual	World Cup	3rd
25		12 February 2005	Reit im Winkl, Germany	10 km F Individual	World Cup	3rd
26		6 March 2005	Lahti, Finland	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
27		19 March 2005	Falun, Sweden	7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit	World Cup	3rd
28	2005–06	27 November 2005	Rukatunturi, Finland	10 km F Individual	World Cup	2nd
29		15 December 2005	Canmore, Canada	10 km F Individual	World Cup	1st
30		17 December 2005	Canmore, Canada	15 km C Mass Start	World Cup	2nd
31		31 December 2005	Nové Město, Czech Republic	10 km F Individual	World Cup	2nd
32		14 January 2006	Val di Fiemme, Italy	15 km F Mass Start	World Cup	2nd
33		11 March 2006	Oslo, Norway	30 km F Individual	World Cup	1st

Team podiums

13 victories – (11 RL, 2 TS)
25 podiums – (22 RL, 3 TS)

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place	Teammate(s)
1	1995–96	17 December 1995	Santa Caterina, Italy	4 × 5 km C Relay	World Cup	3rd	Nageykina / Baranova-Masalkina / Zavyalova
2	1996–97	24 November 1996	Kiruna, Sweden	4 × 5 km C Relay	World Cup	3rd	Nageykina / Zavyalova / Danilova
3		8 December 1996	Davos, Switzerland	4 × 5 km C Relay	World Cup	3rd	Baranova-Masalkina / Nageykina / Danilova
4		15 December 1996	Brusson, Italy	4 × 5 km F Relay	World Cup	2nd	Zavyalova / Nageykina / Lazutina
5	1997–98	7 December 1997	Santa Caterina, Italy	4 × 5 km F Relay	World Cup	1st	Välbe / Lazutina / Danilova
6		14 December 1997	Val di Fieme, Italy	4 × 5 km F Relay	World Cup	3rd	Baranova-Masalkina / Zavyalova / Gavrylyuk
7		6 March 1998	Lahti, Finland	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Danilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
8	1998–99	20 December 1998	Davos, Switzerland	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	3rd	Denisova / Baranova-Masalkina / Reztsova
9		10 January 1999	Nové Město, Czech Republic	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Reztsova
10		14 March 1999	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Nageykina / Baranova-Masalkina / Lazutina
11		21 March 1999	Oslo, Norway	4 × 5 km C Relay	World Cup	1st	Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
12	1999–2000	28 November 1999	Kiruna, Sweden	4 × 5 km F Relay	World Cup	1st	Yegorova / Skladneva / Reztsova
13		8 December 1999	Asiago, Italy	Team Sprint F	World Cup	3rd	Skladneva
14		13 January 2000	Nové Město, Czech Republic	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	2nd	Zavyalova / Gavrylyuk / Skladneva
15		27 February 2000	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km F Relay	World Cup	1st	Danilova / Zavyalova / Lazutina
16		4 March 2000	Lahti, Finland	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Danilova / Gavrylyuk / Zavyalova
17	2000–01	26 November 2000	Beitostølen, Norway	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	2nd	Danilova / Yegorova / Lazutina
18		9 December 2000	Santa Caterina, Italy	4 × 3 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Gavrylyuk / Zavyalova / Lazutina
19		13 December 2000	Clusone, Italy	6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F	World Cup	1st	Zavyalova
20	2001–02	27 November 2001	Kuopio, Finland	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Danilova / Baranova-Masalkina / Gavrylyuk
21	2001–02	13 January 2002	Nové Město, Czech Republic	4 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F	World Cup	1st	Medvedeva-Arbuzova
22	2003–04	22 February 2004	Umeå, Sweden	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	2nd	Kurkina / Zavyalova / Vorontsova
23	2004–05	12 December 2004	Val di Fiemme, Italy	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	1st	Kurkina / Baranova-Masalkina / Medvedeva-Arbuzova
24	2004–05	20 March 2005	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	3rd	Kurkina / Baranova-Masalkina / Medvedeva-Arbuzova
25	2005–06	15 January 2006	Val di Fiemme, Italy	4 × 5 km C/F Relay	World Cup	2nd	Rocheva / Baranova-Masalkina / Medvedeva-Arbuzova
Source: ^[5]

Overall record

Result	Distance Races^[a]						Sprint	Ski Tours	Individual Events	Team Events^[5]		All Events
Result	≤ 5 km^[b]	≤ 10 km^[b]	≤ 15 km^[b]	≤ 30 km^[b]	≥ 30 km^[b]	Pursuit^[c]	Sprint	Ski Tours	Individual Events	Team Sprint	Relay	All Events
1st place	2	7	2	3	1	2	1	–	18	2	11	31
2nd place	1	3	3	–	–	–	1	–	8	–	5	13
3rd place	2	4	–	–	–	1	–	–	7	1	6	14
Podiums	5	14	5	3	1	3	2	–	33	3	22	58
Top 10	13	28	15	6	2	10	7	–	81	11	32	124
Points	19	45	22	10	2	14	13	–	125	14	33	172
Others	5	7	1	–	–	3	19	–	35	–	–	35
DSQ	1	5	–	1	–	1	1	2	11	–	1	12
Starts	25	57	23	11	2	18	33	2	171	14	34	219

a. ¹ Classification is made according to FIS classification.

b. ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ Includes individual and mass start races.

c. ¹ Includes pursuit and double pursuit races.

References

^ "Julia Chepalova's suspension upheld". ESPN. 2 October 2010.
^ Julia Chepalova disqualified for doping^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "CAS 2010/A/2041 Yuliya Chepalova v. Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS)" (PDF). Court of Arbitration for Sport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
^ "TCHEPALOVA Julija". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Julija Tchepalova". SkiSport365. Retrieved 30 December 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yuliya Chepalova.

"FIS Doping Panel delivers two decisions". – FIS 23 December 2009 article accessed 25 December 2009.
Julija Tchepalova at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
Holmenkollen medalists at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-02-24) – click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)
Holmenkollen winners since 1892 at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-02-24) – click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)

v t e Olympic champions in women's cross-country skiing individual sprint
2002: Yuliya Chepalova (RUS) 2006: Chandra Crawford (CAN) 2010: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2014: Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) 2018: Stina Nilsson (SWE) 2022: Jonna Sundling (SWE)

v t e Olympic champions in women's 20 km and 30 km cross-country skiing
20 km	1984: Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen (FIN) 1988: Tamara Tikhonova (URS)
30 km	1992: Stefania Belmondo (ITA) 1994: Manuela Di Centa (ITA) 1998: Yuliya Chepalova (RUS) 2002: Gabriella Paruzzi (ITA) 2006: Kateřina Neumannová (CZE) 2010: Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) 2014: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2018: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2022: Therese Johaug (NOR)

Olympic champions in women's 4 × 5 km cross-country relay

3 × 5 km

4 × 5 km

1976: Nina Baldycheva, Zinaida Amosova, Raisa Smetanina, Galina Kulakova (URS)
1980: Marlies Rostock, Carola Anding, Veronika Hesse, Barbara Petzold (GDR)
1984: Inger Helene Nybråten, Anne Jahren, Brit Pettersen, Berit Aunli (NOR)
1988: Svetlana Nageykina, Nina Gavrylyuk, Tamara Tikhonova, Anfisa Reztsova (URS)
1992: Yelena Välbe, Raisa Smetanina, Larisa Lazutina, Lyubov Yegorova (EUN)
1994: Yelena Välbe, Larisa Lazutina, Nina Gavrylyuk, Lyubov Yegorova (RUS)
1998: Nina Gavrylyuk, Olga Danilova, Yelena Välbe, Larisa Lazutina (RUS)
2002: Manuela Henkel, Viola Bauer, Claudia Künzel, Evi Sachenbacher (GER)
2006: Natalya Baranova-Masalkina, Larisa Kurkina, Yuliya Chepalova, Yevgeniya Medvedeva (RUS)
2010: Vibeke Skofterud, Therese Johaug, Kristin Størmer Steira, Marit Bjørgen (NOR)
2014: Ida Ingemarsdotter, Emma Wikén, Anna Haag, Charlotte Kalla (SWE)
2018: Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Ragnhild Haga, Marit Bjørgen (NOR)
2022: Yuliya Stupak, Natalya Nepryayeva, Tatiana Sorina, Veronika Stepanova (ROC)

v t e World champions in women's cross-country combined/double pursuit
5 km + 10 km combined	1993: Stefania Belmondo (ITA) 1995: Larisa Lazutina (RUS) 1997: Yelena Välbe (RUS) & Stefania Belmondo (ITA) 1999: Stefania Belmondo (ITA)
5 km + 5 km combined	2001: Virpi Kuitunen (FIN)
5 km + 5 km double	2003: Kristina Šmigun (EST)
7.5 km + 7.5 km double	2005: Yuliya Chepalova (RUS) 2007: Olga Zavyalova (RUS) 2009: Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) 2011: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2013: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2015: Therese Johaug (NOR) 2017: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2019: Therese Johaug (NOR) 2021: Therese Johaug (NOR) 2023: Ebba Andersson (SWE)

World champions in women's cross-country skiing 3/4 × 5 km relay